best female voice talent

What Makes an Effective Commercial Voice Over

Doing an effective commercial voice over means being an influencer—and doesn’t everyone want to be that? A commercial voice over promotes a business or a brand and its products or services—it influences. In other words, it’s selling, and an effective commercial voice over can mean more sales.

Maybe you’re a client needing commercial voice over talent, or you’re a talent wanting to do more of them. Now the marketplace has expanded far beyond radio and television, more traditional mediums. Social media, including YouTube, along with podcasts and websites, mean more opportunities to promote a business, and more need for great commercial voice over.

The voice of a commercial voice over must be many things to many people but needs to sound like the most important person—and voice—to one person. The best commercial voice actors have finely honed the art of talking to a person in a relatable way—and not as though it’s a stadium full of people.

The Right ‘Type’ of Commercial Voice Talent

The agency or script writer knows exactly who the target audience is for any commercial. It’s the group of people who’ll buy that product or service, usually heavily researched if it’s a major corporation or brand name. Creatives know for sure whether a millennial, GenX or mature adult will be buying, so it only makes sense to cast someone in that same age group. The target audience needs to hear a voice that “sounds like” them, at least age-wise.

Be Informed About That Script

If you’re auditioning, do your homework and think about the industry you’ll be talking about, the tone of past commercials and their target audience. What does the advertiser really want to happen here, and how can you finesse the way you deliver the words to accomplish that mission? You want to carefully analyze and interpret those words like a scientist, with thorough preparation and thought—not just jump into the booth and read whatever comes to mind.

You’re telling a story, connecting with the target audience, engaging, and massaging the words. And guess what: The client may listen to only the first 10 seconds of your audition, because after all, they’ve probably got at least 50 other auditions that also deserve their attention. That’s why thorough preparation is so important to a successful commercial read.

Types of Effective Commercial Reads

Hard Sell

You know that commercial that shouts at you from the radio or television, and maybe you turn it off. But maybe it’s selling the thing you’ve been considering buying, so now, it has your attention. And maybe there’s a timeline or deadline to get “this once-a-year price.” Maybe the read is really fast because of so many details considered “necessary” to fit in. And maybe it’s not only loud, but highly energetic and a big forceful.

Soft Sell

This type of commercial voice over predominates in the current marketplace. And that’s why so many voice talents see “not announcery” in the specs detailing what the client wants in a read. Miss that mark, and that voice talent’s audition won’t get through the gate. The read is subtle, non-aggressive, sensitive, realistic, and much more conversational. It may be delivered with very little inflection, almost flat, and may require the listener to use their imagination.

Stay ‘On Trend’

Before you dive into the words, think about what you’re hearing from other commercial spots. Successful commercial voice talents keep their ears open to trends. The voice of 10 or 20 years ago is certainly not the voice of the 2020’s. Like fashion, voice over styles change, too.

Be Truthful with Yourself

Don’t be afraid to practice sounding like someone whose commercial voice talent you admire. Record yourself in the booth and listen back. Then do it again, and although it can be painful, be your harshest critic and practice until you’re happy with that read.

The most successful commercial talents break the rule about “no comparison” to other voices. At the top levels, voice talents often audition for the same job, and then they hear “who got it” when the spot plays. If you can go back to your initial audition and compare notes with the actual booked spot, veterans say that’s a great way to learn what you did right—and wrong, especially if you kept the copy and specs.

Get Pro Help for Your Commercial Voice Over

The biggest money is always in commercials, so it’s no wonder the market is so competitive. There’s no shortage of great voice over coaches, so spend a few sessions brushing up if you’re seasoned, and plan to do that a few times a year. And if you’re new, getting excellent coaching out of the gate is absolutely critical. It can save you time and despair and help keep you on track. Sometimes, your favorite commercial voice talent also does coaching, so check out their websites to see if that’s the case.

You can learn to deliver effective commercial voice over every time.

The Conversational Read for Commercial Voice Over

Voice Over Blog

The conversational read for commercial voice over remains the “darling” of the voice over business. Let’s look at how this impacts both client and talent, both in pursuit of the perfect read.

Why Clients Want a Conversational Read

If you seek a conversational read for your next commercial voice over, you’re not alone among voice over clients. This perennially popular style involves no shouting or “pushing” that copy. For sure, it does not sound forced or stiff—quite the opposite. No yelling about that super sale on a car right now.

You want your next commercial to resonate, so you want a conversational read for commercial voice over when you produce that message. You’ve made it clear in the specs for your product or service that you don’t want anything to sound “announcery.” You want it to be real, informal, relaxed, relatable, and anything over the top just won’t cut it for this voice over project.

You know you’ve got that perfect conversational read when the voice sounds believable, and really connects with the listener, like you. It comes across like a good friend talking to another friend, and although it may not sound super-professional or “perfect,” that’s fine because we humans don’t always speak perfectly, do we?

This voice sounds smooth, delivering words at a pace that doesn’t include lots of pauses that shouldn’t be there anyway. It can be authoritative, and a voice of experience, but not preachy or bossy. the voice doesn’t “talk at” the person but “talks to” them without forcing it. It makes the listener think, “I want this person to tell me more.”

Voice Over Talent Delivers a Conversational Read

If you’re a voice over talent, the conversational read for commercial voice over keeps appearing on almost every script you audition these days. And it helps you so much if the script has been written well, enabling you to deliver that read.

You read the copy through a few times, but maybe you think, “I just don’t have this yet, and I need to get it NOW.”

Let’s ask a few questions and come up with the answers to help you master this conversational voice over read.

Who are you in the commercial read?

If you’ve taken acting or improv classes, good for you! You can apply some of the same principles you used in assessing a theatrical script or improv assignment. And yes, voice over acting is acting, so get yourself “into character.”

Start by thinking about “who” you should emulate in this script. Why is this person there and what should they do? What is their motivation? And what is their connection or relationship to the audience?

Although space is tight, use your hands as you would in a conversation. Just don’t bang the mic! Do what you need to do, including making noises a nd faces, to get into that character mode.

Who is your audience?

So, there you are, squished into a tight studio booth, and you’re alone, with no “Atta’ girl!” or applause. Turn on that active imagination and let it flow. Who’s listening and why do they care? Better yet, how do you, as a voice over talent, engage them and get them to care?

Who was the script writer thinking of as their target when the writer penned the masterpiece you get to voice? Can you envision a relative or friend as the one who will listen? Maybe it’s a celebrity or VIP or someone else who inspires you, or otherwise affects you.

Who do you know who feels like the target of the script? You will tell this person the story in the script and tell it like you mean it. If you get too “announcery,” this person would consider it a huge turn-off, right, and call you out?

How do you structure the read?

Put a pause, or put a breath, where it occurs naturally in the copy. You’d do this in a “normal conversation.” Maybe you want to add a contraction because the copy sounds too stilted. Most directors don’t mind this, but they don’t want you going too far off-script. That remains a no-no in any session as it seems disrespectful to the copy.

Show your magnetic personality, while adhering to that delivery that talks to your “person.” Don’t feel like you have to shout or use a loud voice. That can happen in front of the mic. Think “one-on-one,” sitting next to your “person” in their living room, talking intently and sincerely about something.

Where can you find help?

If developing a conversational read for commercial voice over feels like a high hurdle, get some help. Choose from the many experienced, talented voice over coaches available to help you, within your budget. But don’t rely on someone to do the work for you. Read, record, and listen. And do it again. Practice really does make perfect, and today’s super-successful voice over talents have read thousands of scripts.

You can do it. Just don’t over think it. And practice. More.

Boost Your Business Using Localization Voiceover

Voice Over Blog

Voiceover is an incredible way to enhance your business’s marketing and communication strategies. Localization voiceover can generate emotion and engagement when used correctly if you are using any kind of video or audio content. Your goal as a business owner is to ensure that your messages come across clearly to your audience, and the voiceover is no exception. Depending on where your audience is, you might have to consider language barriers.

Business is becoming more global daily, and you want to ensure that all audiences can access your messages. Subtitles are well and good, but it will always be easier for an audience to hear their native language rather than trying to read along. This is where localization voiceover comes in.

What is Localization?

Localizing is when the voices for audio or video are translated and voiced in another language or accent to better match the intended audience. The entire process involves:

Transcribing a script for the original audio
Translating the script
Editing the script as needed
Choosing a voice actor who best matches the translated lines
Recording the new lines
Editing the final recorded content

When translating and editing a script, localization can help make audio and video clips relatable to the target market. Localizing the original dialogue is problematic because it is modified to fit the speaking style, pace, vocabulary, and dialect considerations. Phrases that may not have exact translations are phrased in ways that the new audience can understand.

There are different types of localization. There is standard localization voiceover and then dubbing. Dub is a more active form of localization where multiple voice actors re-record original dialogues. The number of speakers depends on the number of voices in the original audio clip. Dubs are more time-consuming and expensive to produce but offer a higher quality viewer experience.

Critical Benefits of Localization Voiceover

Choosing to go for a localized voiceover has many benefits. You can reach a much wider audience by translating and modifying your messages to be more understandable. People will be more likely to engage with your content or buy your product if the marketing is in their native language. This includes sharing your messages on foreign social media channels.

Another obvious benefit of having a wider audience is that your business can grow beyond its domestic borders. With global messaging comes global clients, and showing foreign consumers that you are willing to speak their language will make it easier to conduct business with them.

A third benefit is that a localized voiceover showcases your professionalism. By opting for a quality, professionally done voiceover, existing and potential clients can tell you value your outreach efforts. A well-executed voiceover shows you won’t cut corners regarding your foreign clients.

Types of Projects that Shine When Localized

While localization is a great tool, there are certain areas where it can bring out the best parts of a project when done right. These include:

Movies and TV shows: Voiceovers cover narration, exposition, and internal monologues. This doubles for any promotional material for movies and TV shows, including trailers and social media posts. You can use localization for all of these purposes.
International sports events: Any sport with an international following can use localized voiceover. If an event will air at a specific time or has a pay-per-view planned, then localized voiceovers can help drum up promotion across the globe.
Educational videos: Explainer videos and educational programs also benefit from localized voiceover. Especially with the internet, a larger audience has access to learning opportunities. Companies making videos or university courses turn to multilingual, online content to round out their educational programs.
Video Games: Much like TV and film, video games offer immersive experiences to their consumers. As games become more advanced and dialogue plays a more significant role, voiceover plays a much larger role in making game worlds seem more relatable and immersive. More games offer foreign language dubs, making localizing a crucial aspect of modern game design.

See What Localization Voiceover Can Do for Your Business

No matter what type of project your business is considering, localization voiceover is an option to consider to enhance your marketing and communications strategy. Speaking someone’s native language is bound to catch their attention, and localization is the way to do that. It can bring about a return on investment by attracting a wider audience and help you tap into international markets. Professional localization can help keep new and prospective customers engaged while assuring international markets that you take their business seriously.

Stephanie Stephens

Voice Over Talent